Tag: "Meghan McCain"

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

October Northeast Storm Knocks Two Weeks Out of November PPM in Hartford.  Arbitron delivers the news to the Hartford market that the November 2011 PPM report – consisting of the time period October 13 through November 9 – will not include the two weeks of October 27 through November 9 during which a substantial portion of the market was without power.  In a message to clients, Arbitron writes, “Arbitron has carefully monitored Average Daily In-Tab and other performance metrics throughout this interval.  Based on these metrics, Arbitron will be releasing a November 2011 Hartford-New Britain-Middletown report based exclusively on November Weeks 1 and 2 (October 13-October 26).”  It is painfully ironic that radio – relied upon during times of emergencies such as these and often lauded for its tremendous dedication to keeping listeners in the market informed under difficult circumstances – is at the mercy of a ratings system that relies upon electricity at a time when stations in the market should get credit for the huge number of people who used it during that period.

CBS Radio’s KXNT-AM/FM, Las Vegas Names Kevin Wall PM Drive Host.  Several months after parting ways with longtime station personality Alan Stock, CBS Radio Las Vegas announces the new permanent PM drive host at FM News Radio 100.5 KXNT is Kevin Wall.  Most recently at Border Media Partners’ KTSA, San Antonio, Wall has also served as a fill-in host for Glenn Beck, Bill Bennett and Fox News Radio.  KXNT program director Andrew Paul states, “We couldn’t be happier to have Kevin join our team.  Kevin is talented, bright, articulate and an excellent communicator.  Heading into next year’s general election, we face a critical juncture in our nation’s future.  Kevin will be able to relate the important issues to Southern Nevada through his informative and entertaining style.”  Also from KXNT, Jason Pothier is named the new producer for Kevin Wall’s “Live and Local” program.  Pothier spent eight years in Boston as a producer at WEEI, WRKO and WXKS.  Samantha Stone joins the station as the new morning news anchor.  She worked for many years in Reno as a reporter/producer for Nevada Newsmakers and a reporter for Vegas PBS and Cumulus’ KKOH.  Trevor Smith also joins KXNT as a news reporter after spending the past four years as news director at KZBI-FM in Elko, Nevada.

Clear Channel Adds FM Simulcast to KNST, Tucson; Drops Spanish Music on 97.1.  Beginning Monday, November 28 the Spanish language music format at KTZR-FM ends and a simulcast of KNST begins.  Clear Channel Tucson market manager Shanna McCoy states, “Bringing our heritage News Talk KNST 790 to 97.1 FM will help us deliver the most powerful programming lineup in the market.  We’re committed to bringing our listeners the absolute best programming.”  Market operations manager Chris Pickett says, “KNST will join the growing movement of great news/talk programming moving to FM.  This is an important time for listeners to tune in with a presidential primary coming in February, and I can’t think of a better time to make the change.”  Journal Broadcast Group has been operating news/talk KQTH-FM in the market since April of 2007.

MSNBC Names Meghan McCain Contributor.  The daughter of Senator John McCain has been a media figure for some time now and has been a frequent guest on cable news/talk TV.  Now MSNBC puts her on the payroll as a contributor.  In a statement, Meghan McCain says, “I couldn’t more be more excited to be joining the MSNBC family.  It’s a unique opportunity to share my perspective as a Republican on a network I respect and have built a relationship with over the past two years.”

Jim Bohannon Recognized by RTDNA.  Dial Global talk personality Jim Bohannon – host of the “America in the Morning” news program and his eponymous overnight talk show – is being honored by the Radio Television Digital News Association with a Special Recognition First Amendment Award.  Bohannon and three other journalists will be honored at the RTDNA’s 22^nd annual First Amendment Awards Dinner on March 15 in Washington, DC.  The RTDNA states, “Bohannon is the originator of National Freedom of Information Day, a concept he first presented to the national convention of the Society of Professional Journalists at their 1979 convention in New York City.  Bohannon has broadcast dozens of programs about freedom of information issues.”

BookMarc from Miami. Sirius/XM talk host Bob Edwards (l) chats with WNDB, Daytona Beach talk personality Marc Bernier (r) about Edwards being forced out of NPR.  Bernier took his special program about books to the Miami Book Fair International where he interviewed 43 authors over the course of the weekend.  Broadcasting live from Miami-Dade College, the site of the nation’s largest book fair, it was Bernier’s seventh visit to the annual event as he conducted 10 hours of interviews on Saturday and Sunday live on WNDB and produced streaming video of the event on kenneytv.com.

Super Committee Fails, Markets Tumble, 2012 Presidential Race, Egypt Unrest, and Freeh to Head Penn State Investigation Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (11/21).  The failure of the Congressional Super Committee to come to terms on federal spending cuts, the financial markets’ reactions to Euro Zone debt and the Super Committee’s failure, the 2012 presidential race, new political unrest in Egypt and Louis Freeh’s appointment to lead the Penn State sex abuse scandal investigation were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday.